


Serendipity

by patwrites



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Bonding, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Pizza, Star Wars Marathon, iron dad comes to the rescue, peteroo feels guilty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 02:36:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14728359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patwrites/pseuds/patwrites
Summary: serendipityˌsɛr(ə)nˈdɪpɪti/nounthe occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way."But in the end I hope you only turn out better than me / I hope you know I love you young'n, like father, like son."





	Serendipity

"Mr. Stark? Hi," Peter greets, voice tired and scratchy from crying. Hiccups still shake his body but he's trying so, so hard not to let them out.

_"Kid? What's going on?"_

"May, she.. she uhm.."

 _"She what, Pete? Come on, tell me,"_ Mr. Stark's voice sounds worried now and dammit, why did he call him? He should've just dealt with it on his own, like the responsible person people expect him to be, not run crying at Mr. Stark like a spoiled child.

"She was hanging up the laundry earlier and she, uh, slipped. She broke her leg in the process and now I'm with her in the ER."

_"What hospital?"_

"Uh, what?" Peter asks, genuinely confused.

 _"Which hospital are you at, kid? I'm coming right now,"_ Mr. Stark replies, his voice distant as if he's not speaking directly into the microphone. He can hear Happy's voice in the distance now too, which means that Mr. Stark is probably on his way here.

"We're at Elmhurst," he answers after he gets over the confusion. Immediately after that Mr. Stark hangs up with a hurried, _"Be right there, kid,"_ and Peter is left alone in the ER Waiting Room once more. He puts his phone back in his pocket, then props his elbows on his knees, looking at all the medical personnel rushing past him in all directions, at the patients waiting to be seen by a doctor or friends and relatives waiting on their loved ones. When he first walked in with May his senses were overwhelmed for a few minutes, all the talking, crying, shouting, the whirring of the machines making his head spin. Now, though, he has gotten used to it and it's a little easier for him to tune it out. Though that's mainly due to his anxious mind running a thousand miles per hour with worries and worst case scenarios.

Peter is broken out of his daze when his hearing registers a halt in the general noise of the hospital. People have stopped chatting to gasp and murmur whispered words to each other, and so he moves his gaze from the floor to the entrance of the Waiting Room and spots Mr. Stark taking his sunglasses off and looking around, as if searching for something. Their eyes lock onto each other, then the man starts walking in Peter's direction.

"Hey there, Peter. What's the situation, how's your aunt?" his mentor asks him before taking a seat next to Peter, on his left. He unbuttons his suit jacket and tucks his shades in a pocket then turns in the stiff, plastic chair so he's facing Peter.

"They're putting her leg in a cast for now and she's scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning. They're keeping her in for the night," he tells the man, and he can feel his chest constricting and tears forming in his eyes again. He takes a deep breath, looks up at the ceiling and wills them to go back where they came from --now's not the time for crying. Peter nearly jumps out of his skin when a gentle hand touches his shoulder lightly. Mr. Stark is looking at him directly, gaze serious but kind, gentle, dare he say _fatherly_.

"I'll talk to the doctor and make sure it's nothing serious. After I get back we're going to eat something and don't even think about saying you're not hungry because I know you haven't eaten anything in hours," Mr. Stark admonishes before Peter can even open his mouth. "We'll get through this, don't worry."

Peter looks at his mentor with awe in his eyes and a familiar warmth that he's begun to associate with the man for the past year and a half they've known each other settles in his belly and chest. Mr. Stark's hand is still resting on his shoulder. It instantly makes the teen feel safe, protected, shielded from any danger from the outside world. If he thinks about it, every time Peter is in the older man's presence but especially when they're touching in any way, a feeling of protection washes over him, the kind that only May's or Ben's touches ever provided. So even though he's still worried sick about his only living relative, Mr. Stark's reassurance as well as the physical comfort make him nod mutely and watch the man get up and go to talk to the doctor in charge of Aunt May.

Mr. Stark is back before Peter's exhausted mind can even realize he's been gone.

"She's alright, though in a hell of a lot of pain. They'll move her in a room on the second floor soon, so in the mean time you and I are having lunch at the awful hospital cafeteria, alright kid?"

"Yeah, sure," Peter says. He exhales in relief and rubs his face with his hands, then gets up to his feet. "Let's go."

They go to the cafeteria where Peter picks a plate of something he doesn't have the energy to identify while Mr. Stark gets a coffee. Peter wants to comment on it and point out that's not food, but again, he lacks the energy. They eat --drink-- in silence, the teenager stuffing bits and pieces of food in his mouth at a time, lacking the usual gusto with which he devours food. Peter glances at the wristwatch Mr. Stark has given him a while ago and notices how late it is: 9:38 PM.

"Mr. Stark, you can leave, you know?"

"Hmm?" the man inquires confused. "Whatchu talking 'bout, kid?"

"It's late, I'm sure you have more important stuff to do than play babysitter with me. I'll be fine."

Mr. Stark sets his coffee on the table with a sigh. He looks at Peter. "Pete, kid, listen to me. I'm not here because I have to, okay? I could've just sent Happy instead, or no one at all, get it?" Peter nods. "I'm here because I want to, and because you need an adult by your side through all this. May is gonna be alright but she's your only adult figure, it can't be easy seeing her in the hospital."

"I was worried sick when I heard her falling and yelling in fright and pain.. I..I didn't know what to do when I saw her broken leg. If Karen hadn't suggested to call the ambulance I probably would've worked myself up to a panic attack," Peter admits quietly, staring at his half finished plate. His gaze is distant and unfocused, memories of a few hours ago flashing through his mind. His heartbeat picks up.

"That's why I'm here, alright?" Mr. Stark says and lays a hand on Peter's own, succeeding in breaking him out of the faraway place his mind has traveled to. The touch grounds him in the present and his heartrate calms down.

"Alright, Mr. Stark."

"Hey, what I did I tell you about the 'Mr. Stark' crap?"

"That it makes you sound like your father and to call you Tony?"

"That it makes me sound like my father and to call me Tony. So just do it."

"But it feels weird, you're an adult," Peter grimaces.

"So is your aunt and you still call her May," Mr. Sta- _Tony_ points out before taking one last sip from his coffee.

"Fine, Tony."

"Great!" Tony beams. "Now was that so hard?"

Peter looks around at the people at other tables, all chatting with each other but throwing glances at them out of the corners of their eyes every now and again. Any other time it would have bothered him but now he couldn't care less that people are staring and making assumptions about him. All that matters is that May is safe and Tony is here and he's not alone, left to deal with May having surgery and him possibly having to live alone for a while until she's discharged. Peter doesn't even want to think about that now.

"We should get back, in case they've moved May," he suggests after a few minutes. Tony nods and gets up, taking Peter's plate with him. He dumps it in the designated place for dirty dishes then follows Peter out of the cafeteria and to the ER Waiting Room. They get there just when May is being wheeled to the second floor by a nurse, so they follow them.

"Hey, May," Peter tells her. She is trying to get comfortable on the hospital bed, trying not to jolt her cast around too much. He walks up to her side, adjusts the pillow for her and smiles softly when she sighs in relief and sinks into it.

"Oh Peter, what are you still doing here? You should've gone home, you have school tomorrow. You need some sleep, kid."

"Don't worry, I've already called his school and told them there's a family emergency and he can't come tomorrow. He'll have time to sleep," Tony says from the doorway. "You look good. White plaster suits you," he grins charmingly at May.

"Tony, thank god you're here. Please make sure he eats and sleeps, I know that without me there to pester him he'll join me here in a day if not less."

Peter makes an indignant noise at this and wants to defend himself but doesn't get the chance to.

"I figured. I've managed to get some food in him, so I'd say we're good. We might just save him from hospitalization yet."

They grin at each other then crack up, both of them laughing like two friends sharing an inside joke. Peter feels slightly annoyed at the jabs at his inability to take care of himself, but mostly fond if not a bit awestruck. He had no idea May and Tony were so close, let alone on a first name basis. But seeing them going all helicopter parents on him makes that warmth return to Peter's body.

"Do you need anything?" Tony asks after they've calmed down. "I can tell Happy to bring you stuff if you need it."

"Some pajamas would be great. And food. But that's about it."

"Done and done. Peter, keep your aunt company while I step out real quick to call my forehead of security."

"So, you and Tony?" Peter asks.

"What? No, Peter, nothing's going on. We've just been talking about you lately, since you're at the Compound so often and he's kind of been acting like your father for a while and-"

"May, please stop. That's not what I meant, oh my god," Peter exclaims. "I just meant the first name basis thing and the joking and teasing at my expense."

"Oh, right," May deflates. "That. Well, you've been spending a lot of time together in the past year or so, and since I know about the whole Spiderman thing now, it's only natural I'd start checking in on you through him. I guess we just kind of started this co-parenting thing. Do you...mind?"

"No, of course not. I'm actually kind of glad," Peter admits.

"He's a good man, Pete. And I don't care about any of the bad stuff people say about him as long as he keeps you safe. I know you, and if it weren't for him and his suit, you'd have ended up dead or seriously injured long ago. So as far as I'm concerned Tony Stark is a literal angel fallen down from Heaven.

"And he cares about you. I can see it in his eyes and the way he talks to you, the way he looks at you."

Peter doesn't honestly know what to say. He hasn't noticed, if he's being frank with himself. He has always just assumed Tony was being kind and generous just because that's who he is, checking up on him out of obligation and upgrading his suit to make sure Peter doesn't end up dead. Maybe he's just been forcing himself to believe that because the alternative was too surreal to believe --Tony Stark genuinely caring about him? Even he had to scoff at the thought.

"Happy'll be here in half an hour," Tony announces as he enters the room again. He starts talking to May, asking if she's managed to cook a new recipe she's been meaning to try, but Peter tunes it out. His mind is hazy and exhausted. He nods off without even realizing, the sound of Tony and May's voices acting like a lullaby to lull him to sleep.

"Mhm?" he grunts a while later. It feels like he's being carried, but his sleep addled mind can't focus for the life of him.

"Shh, kid. Go back to sleep, we're almost here."

Peter feels himself being let down on a soft surface, then something heavy and warm is being draped over him. He snuggles his face in the pillow and pulls the blanket tighter over his body then he's out like a light the next second.

Peter wakes up the next day in a panic at first, not recognizing his surroundings. Then the Star Wars and Alien posters on the wall, as well as the Spiderman and Iron Man action figures on the desk register in his mind and the teen realizes he's in his room at the Avengers Compound. His vision is sharp and focused again, and his head doesn't feel like he's been dunked in water repeatedly anymore.

"Good morning, Peter," F.R.I.D.A.Y. greets. "Breakfast is being served in the kitchen."

"Thanks, Friday," Peter replies. He gets up from the bed, grimacing when he sees he's still wearing the clothes from yesterday. He washes his face and teeth in the bathroom then exits his room, padding softly to the kitchen. He enters with a yawn and startles when he sees Pepper at the table sipping from a glass of orange juice while reading something on a StarkTablet and Tony flipping some eggs in a pan while dancing around and singing along to a song from the playlist Peter made for the man's birthday last month.

"Morning, kid. Take a seat, I'm almost done," Tony greets.

"Morning," Peter replies, going to the table and sitting down on a chair next to Pepper. "Hi, Miss Potts," he tells the woman after he's settled in his seat.

"Hey there, Peter," she smiles brightly at him over her tablet. "I'm sorry to hear about May."

"It's okay, she'll be fine."

"Here, kid. Eat up. We're going to the hospital after breakfast, so unless you're dying to try another dish à la hospital, I'd suggest devouring those eggs," Tony warns him after he sets the plate down in front of him. Peter nods and picks up the fork, digs in and drinks the entire glass of juice. After they've eaten breakfast, Tony says goodbye to Pepper and kisses her, then takes Peter to his and May's apartment for a change of clothes and to grab anything May might need while in the hospital. An hour later they're waiting for her to come out of the surgery in her room.

"You're staying with me until she's better, by the way," Tony breaks the silence that has settled over them. "I've talked to May last night before I took you home. They'll keep her here for a few days, and she doesn't want you all alone back at home."

"I'll be fine on my own, Tony, what are you talking about? This is too much, I don't want to intrude."

"We've talked about this already, Peter. I'm doing it because I want to, not because I have to."

"But it really isn't necessary-"

"Maybe, but it would make me sleep better at night, knowing you aren't all alone in that apartment," Tony interrupts. "And besides, it's only until May's better. After they release her you can go back."

"Okay," Peter agrees right before a nurse comes in, wheeling May to the bed and helping her up on the bed. Peter immediately rushes to fix up her pillow and drape the blanket over her feet, looking in worry at the injured leg.

"It's alright, Petey. It wasn't heart surgery," May assures him though it does nothing to calm his nerves. He looks at her, sitting on that hospital bed and failing to hide her grimace as she jostles her leg, and he can't help but feel responsible, as illogical as it is.

Peter stays with May all day long, talking with her, playing scrabble and watching some romcom she enjoys so much. At some point she doubles over in pain and hisses through her teeth, a nurse having to rush in to give her a painkiller and calm her down. Peter's heart rate has never skyrocketed so fast in his life.

Tony has already left by the time that happens, apologizing to both him and May but claiming he has some meetings to attend to at SI, meetings he has promised Pepper he would be there for. The man promises Peter he'll come to pick him up later and take him home to pack clothes, books and other stuff he might need until May is released; Peter has to push down the disappointment he feels at seeing Tony leave.

It's three hours later when Tony comes back, looking tired but just as put together as usual. He talks to Peter in hushed voices so as not to wake May up, let's him write her a note saying goodbye then they take their leave. Peter makes quick work of packing his school bag and a duffel with clothes and other things.

"Done, Pete?" Tony asks at the door. He's looking around at the photos on the wall: there's one of May and Ben on their wedding day, his parents and him when he was about 2 years old, one of May, Ben and him three years later on his birthday and one of him with the Iron Man mask and repulsor on from the day of the Stark Expo a few years back. Peter still remembers how excited he was when Ben and May gave in and took him to the Expo. He knows better now, and realizes how many extra shifts May probably had to take on to be able to pay for 2 tickets to the event, and it makes him feel bad for never realizing how much of a burden his childish whims had been. Not for the first time, he discovers how angry he actually is at his parents, but not for the reason everyone might think. He isn't really mad that they left him, because though he got to spend some time of his life with them, he doesn't really remember his parents that much. What he is mad at them for, however, is the fact that they dumped him on his aunt and uncle, not caring about how hard it would be on them to raise a child.

Sometimes Peter wonders if he's the reason May never had any children.

"Yup, all done," Peter replies, popping the 'p'. He looks away from the framed pictures, busying himself instead with putting his shoes on and tying the laces.

"Wait, I know this kid," Tony exclaims, as if he's just had an epiphany.

Peter looks up from his shoes to gaze at what Tony is talking about, and sees the picture of him from the Expo. "Yeah, probably because that's me."

"That's _you_?" Tony laughs. "Fate is a hilarious son of a bitch."

"Why?" Peter asks in confusion once he finishes tying his shoelaces and stands up to his full height.

"I remember you! You were trying to shoot a Hammer drone with one of those repulsors made out of cardboard and I shot it from behind you. I guess you've always been a brave kid, Pete."

"Wait, that actually happened? Ben didn't believe me, said I'd probably imagined it due to shock," he replies as he swings the backpack over his shoulder. "Let's go."

They exit the apartment, Peter locking the door behind them and putting it in his duffel for safekeeping. He throws one last look at the door, feeling as if he's never going to see this small apartment full of memories, good and bad, then follows Tony outside to the Ferrari parked in front of the apartment building. Neighbors are throwing curious glances --more like stares-- at the pair, but Peter ignores them and just gets in the car, then dumps his bags in the backseat. Tony gets in a moment later and starts the car up, driving them away.

"What do you want for dinner?" Tony asks a few minutes later after his phone dings and he checks it really quick at a stop. "Pepper had to leave to Japan for a business meeting, so it's just the two of us."

"I dunno. Pizza?"

"Pizza it is."

The rest of the ride is unusually quiet, Peter's characteristic endless string of chatter not present. It makes the teenager feel awkward in a way, as if it's his duty to fill the silence, but he just feels so drained of energy it's damn near impossible to work up the will to start a conversation. Tony, for his part, doesn't look more concerned with talking either, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Peter sometimes wishes he could glimpse into the man's mind, see what hides behind that snark and charisma, though knowing his own struggles with himself and life, he doesn't really want to know. If Peter struggles and experiences panic attacks or depressing episodes once in a while, Tony's own must be on an astronomical level compared to his. Though the closer they've grown, the happier Tony seems, so Peter guesses he's doing at least one thing right.

"You feel up to going to school tomorrow? I can call and take the week off for you if you need," Tony offers once they're at the Compound.

Peter makes as if to shake his head because he can't skip school, he'd have a ton of lessons and homework to catch up to if he did. But the tiredness in his bones and the lead weights pressing on him from the inside out make him reconsider.

"I'd appreciate that, actually."

If Tony seems surprised, he's an expert at not showing it. Instead, he nods and pulls out his phone to call, from what Peter assumes, his principal.

"I'm dropping my stuff off," Peter mouths to Tony since he's already on the phone, and receives a nod. He trudges up to his room, dumps his bags on the floor then collapses on his bed on his back. He brings his arms up, covering his face and shuts his eyes tightly. Peter wants to cry, scream and punch something really hard, but all he does is lie there and try to control his breathing. He doesn't know why May getting hurt because of such a mundane thing is affecting him so much, but he feels like he's to blame in some way. He's always to blame, anyway. Ben died? He wasn't strong enough to protect him. He ruined Liz's life by catching her father and throwing him in jail? His fault. He lost the suit? He wasn't responsible enough.

Peter could go on forever like this and he would hold himself accountable for each mistake every time. If only he were more mature, more experienced, more careful, more capable. If only he were more.

He doesn't even realize he's been crying and hyperventilating until Tony's careful touch on his arms startles him and brings him back to reality. He lets the man pull his arms away from his face.

"Hey, Peteroo. Wanna breathe with me?" Peter nods. "That's great. Now, copy me. Slowly. In, out, in, out." He copies the steady breathing of the man in front of him, his own breaths becoming less shaky and more controlled. "That's it. You're almost there."

Peter calms down soon. An overwhelming exhaustion is left behind, and he looks up at Tony with big, scared eyes.

"Wanna tell me what that was about, kid?" Tony asks softly, carding his fingers through Peter's unruly curls. The motion is soothing and familiar, succeeding in relaxing Peter further. Tony doesn't look at him when he asks the question as if he were waiting for an answer, instead focuses on his hand and Peter's hair. The boy is grateful for that. The question is left hanging in the air, but not in a way that makes him feel like he has to answer it, more like a choice for Peter to make whether he wants to acknowledge it or move past it.

"Do you ever feel guilty, Tony?" he chooses to ask instead. The motions on his scalp halt for a fraction of a second before continuing on like normal.

"When do I _not_ feel guilty, Peter?" his mentor replies in a low voice.

"What about?"

Tony huffs out a bitter sound that resembles laughter. "Everything. From why my father never loved me to why the bees are dying. Somehow I've managed to convince myself everything on this planet is my fault and I carry it around with me like a cross. Why? Is that how you feel?"

Peter nods mutely. He is chewing on his lower lip anxiously, debating whether to go on. "I guess...everything has gotten to me lately."

"Is it about May or something else?"

"Both. I keep thinking back on the situation with Toomes and what I could've done to make things better. I think about how I disappointed you and how scared May was when she found out about Spiderman. It's like everything is building and building and building, threatening to collapse on me. Maybe being a superhero isn't for me, after all."

"Peter, if there ever was a person made to be a superhero, then that's you, kid," Tony tells him. He's looking right in his eyes, keeping contact for a while to get his point across before moving his gaze on Peter's hair once more. "I'm not going to lie to you, when I took your suit I _was_ disappointed. But not because of you."

Peter raises a questioning eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well," Tony sighs, "I guess I was disappointed because I had constructed this image of you in my head that you're this perfect kid, who is above making mistakes or being irresponsible. I wanted you to be better than me so much that somewhere along the way I forgot that you're just a kid who's inexperienced, eager to help and do good, and that you were just trying to impress me. When that image didn't match the reality..

"Back when the Vulture situation went down, I was trying to distance myself from you as much as I could."

"Why?" Peter interrupts, genuinely curious. It makes sense now and it's nice to know that Tony's cold shoulder hadn't been just his imagination.

"Because I thought I was a bad influence, especially after Germany. I know you wanted to come, but I sort of blackmailed you into joining. That wasn't very adult of me, was it? And that's barely the tip of the iceberg of reasons why having Tony Stark as a mentor is a bad idea," the man shakes his head, a rueful smile on his face.

"Anyway. I let my issues with myself get in the way of seeing you. And that cost you. Maybe taking the suit away taught you a lesson; maybe you learned that the suit wasn't the thing that made you Spiderman and rather you were. But it still doesn't change the fact that you got seriously hurt and could've died. All because the Peter Parker in my head didn't match up to the Peter Parker in real life."

There's a pause after that and Tony's hand has stilled in his hair. His mentor has a faraway look on his face, seeming lost in a world only he can see. Peter is honestly shocked to hear all of this, but he's glad he has because at least now the guilt has lessened. He can sleep peacefully knowing that he isn't to blame 100% for what happened. Not liking seeing Tony distraught by what he's told Peter, the boy puts his hand gently over Tony's own, squeezing it and giving the man a small, reassuring smile when he breaks out of it and looks at him.

"About the other thing, with blaming yourself for everything," Tony clears his throat. "From the bottom of my heart, and these words come from decades of experience, that's bullshit."

Peter laughs despite himself at the frankness. Tony grins back.

"Blaming yourself for things you can no longer control will do you nothing good. Besides, you see things from a subjective perspective. In reality, there are thousands of other factors coming into play for every thing that goes down in our lives. Maybe you could've done something differently and things would've happened the same way, or maybe you could've made them even worse," Tony shrugs. "What's important is to learn from your mistakes and do your damn best to never repeat them. Better yourself as a person and as a superhero, and hope it's enough when it comes to the big decisions."

Peter exhales. He shuts his eyes for a bit, letting the tears fall out in small rivulets at the corners of his eyes. It feels like a weight has been lifted off his chest, and he can finally breathe freely. He doesn't feel like he's breathing someone else's air anymore. When he opens his eyes Tony is looking at him with moist eyes, too, and a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Tony," Peter says, feeling the gratitude deep in his bones. Tony nods, seeming to understand.

"Maybe I can do this parenting thing after all," he chuckles wetly. He cards his fingers through Peter's hair one last time before getting to his feet. "Thank you, kid. I've been needing to let those things out for a long time."

Peter nods. His stomach growls loudly, startling both of them and he bursts into laughter at the ridiculous climax of the heartfelt conversation.

"C'mon, pizza should be here any minute now. How does a Star Wars marathon sound, huh?"

"Amazing!" Peter exclaims as he gets out of bed in a haste. He trips over the bedding and almost plants face first into the floor, but manages to catch himself just in time --thank you, spidey senses-- then follows Tony to the movie room. Now that his spirits have lifted considerably a great amount of his weariness has dissipated. Peter feels more like his old self.

The pizza arrives not even five minutes after they leave Peter's room. Tony is in charge of paying for it and taking it up to the movie room, while Peter is queuing up Episode III of Star Wars and bringing bowls of popcorn and cans of soda from the fridge. They settle comfortably on the spacious couch in front of the huge flat screen TV, pizza boxes open on the coffee table, bowls of popcorn strewn across the room and soda cans in hands. Halfway through the second movie Peter is yawning every two minutes and has somehow gravitated towards Tony's lap. His head is nested comfortably on the man's thighs with the other mussing Peter's hair and massaging his scalp while his feet are stretched along the length of the huge couch.

Five minutes into the third movie Peter is fast asleep, curled up almost entirely around Tony's frame, clinging to his waist for dear life. Soft snores escape his mouth and Tony smiles softly at the kid, heart swelling in his chest. It doesn't take him long to fall asleep too, wrapped up around the kid and holding him protectively in his arms.

Three days later Peter is finally feeling up to going to school again. After constant reassurances from May that she isn't going to spontaneously flatline while he's at school and promises from Tony to pull him out of class immediately if something is to happen to his aunt, the boy gives in to the anxiety caused by skipping school and missing lessons and attends class.

Ned doesn't hesitate to barrel into him with thousands of questions per second about what living with Tony Stark is, an inquiry or two about May's health slipping in here and there. Peter bears with it since he offered his friend nothing more but a quick text saying _**'not coming to school. may in hospital. staying w/ mr. stark'**_ so he feels obligated as any friend should to answer all of these questions patiently and with calm. Easier said than done when Ned finds Chemistry of all times to ask him what kind of toothbrush Iron Man uses.

After school Peter visits May in the hospital, driven by Happy, and spends around two to three hours with her. They talk about each of their days, Peter adds one more doodle on her cast each time he comes by, and they eat the takeout he brings her from her favourite restaurant. The doctor has assured Peter the surgery was a success and that May's bone is healing nicely but that he'd rather keep her there a week or two more until they're changing her cast, and then release her home. Peter finds he doesn't mind it as much as he would've a few days ago when the accident happened.

Living with Tony has been interesting and fun. Pepper still hasn't returned from Japan since negotiations are still underway and slow-going, so they have the Compound all to themselves. After Peter leaves the hospital, either Happy or Tony himself picks him up and takes him home. After he eats, he does his homework real quick, then it's science time with Tony. The man takes him down to his workshop where they mess with the Spiderman suit to find bugs and improvements they can fix or make, Peter gets to make more webs in peace, without the anxiety of making them in Chemistry class, and one memorable time two days ago they even fixed a repulsor on the Iron Man suit (with Tony's careful eye trained on Peter at all times).

After three to five hours of tinkering and engineering together, they have dinner (either ordered in or cooked by Tony) and a movie. All in all, living with Tony is perfect, fun and easy going.

Peter obviously misses May to pieces and he can't wait for her to be discharged, but he finds that he wouldn't mind living here for an extended period of time sometime in the future. Maybe once he's officially an Avenger, he muses.

Two weeks later May is released from the hospital. Tony is there to drive both Peter and her home, where he helps May get inside the apartment and settle on the couch. After Peter has brought her a glass of water to take her painkiller with, he sits down next to her with Tony sitting on a chair in front of them. He's looking around at the apartment, as if seeing it with new eyes. His gaze lingers on photos of Peter in his childhood, a few from his first day of high school. Then, he settles on watching Peter and May with careful eyes, studying them closely with something brewing behind those brown pools.

"May, I've been thinking. Actually, both Pepper and I have been thinking. And not just May, Peter this is as much your decision as it is May's of course, so if you don't want to then we can't and won't force you or anything-"

"Tony, you're rambling. Get to the point," May interrupts with a smile.

Tony sighs. "Yes, of course," he takes a deep breath, "Pepper and I would like to adopt Peter. And look, before you say anything, we know he's seventeen, eighteen in a year, but Pepper.. well, she can't have kids. And we both want to leave the company, our legacy, everything to someone who deserves it and would make us proud. And Peter has been the closest thing I've ever had and will ever have to a son, so it only seems fitting." Tony fidgets on the spot for a bit before continuing. "You don't have to accept. But just know that I only have Peter's best interests at heart. I would be proud to call him my son, though in no way, shape or form do we want to take his parents' or your places in his life."

May nods, smiling softly. "Of course. I had a feeling this was coming. Tony, we've had enough conversations in the past year and something for you to know everything I have to say concerning Peter. You're a good influence on him, and Miss Potts even more so. I'd be happy for Peter to be legally your son. But my opinion here is irrelevant. It's all up to Peter to decide." She looks at him gently, eyes warm and encouraging. Peter himself is stunned, mind blown and heart overwhelmed with emotion. He honestly doesn't know what to say.

He unexpectedly bursts into tears, jumping out of the couch straight into Tony's arms, almost crushing the man in his arms. His mentor, _his dad_ holds him tightly, rubs his back and shushes him softly. After he can feel himself capable of speaking, Peter disentangles himself from the hug and looks up at Tony with watery eyes and a huge smile.

"Yes!"

Tony's face breaks out into a smile as well. "Brilliant!" They hug again, for longer this time, then they clamber on top of May for a group hug as well.

They decide Peter and May should come and live with Tony and Pepper, closing the apartment without selling it. Now May can work normal hours at the hospital, Peter can be better taken care of, and his future is no longer a concern. Having Pepper Potts and Tony Stark as adoptive parents isn't that bad of a perk either. Just wait until Ned hears!

**Author's Note:**

> Here's another Iron Dad & Spider Son piece, more fluff this time to make up for 'Don't Go'. I have a request in the works in relation to that one, so be on the lookout.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Leave kudos of you liked it, feedback and other comments down below, and don't hesitate to check out my other Marvel works, as well as my tumblr @armoredavengers!


End file.
